Signal device for vehicles.



G. DRIES.

LIQUED DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 3. I914.

Patented Feb. 26; 1918.

I Mrs/4mm inoan,

GOTTFEIED DRIES, OF NEW/ARK, NEW JERSEY.

dlGNAL DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gorrriuno DRIES, a citizen of the United Fltates. and a resident of llewark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices for Vehicles. of which the following is a description.

The objects of this invention are to proride for a motor vehicle an improved signal adapted to' indicate an intention upon the operators part that a turn is to be made; to move the signal bodily from side to side of a motor vehicle; to provide such signals at opposite ends of a motor vehicle; to provide improved means for operating said signals; to operate both signals simultaneously; to position such operating means convenient to the steering wheel of the vehicle; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a plan of a motor vehicle chassis to which my invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a swinging signal shown at the rear of the motor vehicle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a Perspective view of a sliding signal shown at the front end of the motor vehicle in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the sliding signal shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is n elevation of the means for operating said signals, with parts broken away, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the operating means taken at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 5.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an automobile or motor vehicle chassis having the usual side frames 2, 2 joined at their rear end by the cross beam 3 and carrying at their front end a radiator 4. A steering wheel 5 controls front wheels 6, 6 as is usual and customary in the art.

In carrying out invention I provide at the back of the motor vehicle a horizontally disposed arcuate track 7, preferably semicircular, with its ends secured to the cross beam 3 and its middle portion extending rearwardly of the vehicle. Pivoted to a bracket 34 on the cross beam 3 at the center of curvature of the arcuate track is a signal arm 8 supported at its outer end by engagement with the track. A roller 9 is carried by the arm 8, said roller being mounted thereon in proper position to ride upon the track 7 and reduce the frictional resistance occasioned when swinging the arm upon the track. Suitable collars 10, 10 at opposite ends of the roller retain the same against longitudinal movement on the arm. Obviously the free end of this arm may be swung readily from side to side of the vehicle, and in order to render such movement easily apparent to others approaching from the rear, I attach a lamp 11 to the free end of said arm 8. Also a flag 12 may becarried by the arm 8 near its free end so as to be readily seen.

At the front of the motor vehicle I provide a device for indicating to those ahead or in front of the machine any change in course which the operator intends to make. This device I have shown in Fig. 1 as mounted in front of the radiator at, and comprising a horizontally disposed track 13 extendi11 from side to side of the vehicle and adapted to sliclably receive a slide block H. To this end the track 13 has a groove 15 cut longitudinally into its front side, said groove being enlarged or dovetailed inwardly of the track. A projection 16 corresponding in shape to the cross section of the inwardly flared groove 15 and forming part of the sliding block 14 engages within said groove 15 and supports the slidmg block in slidable engagement with the track 13. Upon the front of this slide block is alamp 17, and when so desired a flag 18 may also be attached to the slide block for more positively attracting the attention of apthe handle inplace. Beloir the base plate the handle is bent laterally, forming an arm 23. Attached to the outer end 01" this arm 28 and runi'iing over suitable pulleys 2% on the chassis is a flexible connection to the slide block A of the front lamp; this flexible connection extends in opposite directions from the arm 23 to the sides of the vehicle body and along said sides to the front of the body where it is connected to the slide block and is adapted to pull the slide block to either end of its track as maybe desired. also attachec to the arm and extending in opposite directions from the ame is a flexible connection 26 which approaches the swirl. ing arm 8 at the rear of the vehicle from opposite sides, said connection being attached to the swinging arm so as to actuate it in either direction according to the Way in which he shifting lever '19 is turned, it being understood that suitable pulleysQT may be employed to conduct the connection in the proper direction. By the construction thus described, the members oi. said flexible connection are out of the Way, that is, will not interfere with the operation or repair of the engine or shaft or other movable parts, and at the same time are accessible and obtain a direct pull upon the sigi nal in K ns for shifting them. It Will be obvious that by this means both of the lamps are shifted at the some time and in the same direction the stone shitting lever and will indi e to parties both in front and behind the vehicle the intentions of the 1 the signals may be main- :leteimined positions, such for c ahead posi .ie late, as at 28, and l l 29 upon the shift 168 or t ed to enter the notches when the lever is p need in any o e of the predetermined positions. have shown eas 3t. 36 extendin a from the shi v.ng lover and apertu slidably support said rod A on held i r upon the positioning rod longiti al 5' )lRCQRIQDlJ of a spring no; said rod and other end against the ear 30 above the collar and thereby normally holds the positioning rod in its lowered po tion. The upper end of said rod is preferably bent la erally torn a grip portion 33 for convenient and ready manipulation by the operator.

In operation, as the motor vehicle is travelin lo the shifting lever 19 is held Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner WashingtomD. 0.

ticn, that is, so that the signals are at subbind and indicate to them the intentions'o f the operator. Having thus set his signals,

the operator can then turn his vehicle Without danger to himself .or to others.

it will be obvious that a signal device may be constructed and operated at either end of vehicle instead of a signal at both ends, and it is to be understood in construing the appended claim that although I have shown signals for both ends of a vehicle I do not limit myself thereto except as ex pressly stated in the claim. Various other modifications oi the mechanical embodiment of my invention readily apparent to those versed in the art may be made Withoutdcparting from the spirit or scope of the i11' vention.

Having thus described the invention What I claim is:

A signal device for vehicles, comprising-in combination with the body of a vehicle,"signals at the front and rear of said vehicle body adapted to be operated simultaneously in the same direction and indicate thereby an intended change of direction of move-l ment of the vehicle, a lever a dgacent the steering Wheel of the vehicle extending be low the fioor with an arm under the'floor normally lengthwise of the vehicle, said -le-, ver adapted to be manually turned to swing said arnn a positioning rod adjacent said lever longitudinally thereof whereby the lever may be positively held in certain posi tions to which it is turned, and pairs of flexible members attached to and extending laterally opposite directions from said arm to the sides of the vehicle body the members of each pair extending one for wardiy and one rearwardly at the side of the vehicle body to the front and back ends thereof and connected threat to the said sign is. whereby said members Will pull the l n is swung by turning thele ve'r' oorrra'rnn pa ns, lVitnesses HOWARD P. K ne, JANEr A. AYERS.

of Patents.

si.. =ials toward the sides of the vehicles'ivhen t or.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,257,330, granted February 26,

1918, upon the application of Gottfried Dries, of Newark, New Jersey, for an improvement in Signal Devices for Vehicles, an error appears requiring correction as follows: On the drawing, title of invention, for Liquid Device for Vehicles read Signal Device for Vehicles; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April, A. 1)., 1918.

[SEAL] F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Cl. ll631.7. 

